KALIABOR, Feb 2 � A record footfall of book-lovers turned Mouchanda Pathar, the venue of the 73rd�session of Asam Sahitya Sabha, into a sea of humanity, even as the stage is set for Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora to take over as the new president of the apex literary body in a grand ceremony tomorrow.
Earlier today, 73 flags were unfurled in unison in the traditional manner at the Pandit Atmaram Sarma Samannay Kshetra on the third day of the Sabha session.
Sabha president Imran Shah unfurled the central flag (the 73rd) around�8.30 am�in presence of a huge gathering which included office-bearers, delegates and book-lovers from across the State and outside.
Shah, after unfurling the Sabha flag for the 73rd session, said, �A flag signifies nothing but glory. Hope, the glory of the apex literary body will continue to inspire and enlighten us to work for the greater cause of humanity.�
A few hours later, during an interaction programmed for young writers and artistes organised in the memory of Dr Pradeep Bhuyan, Shah also appealed to the new office-bearers of the Sabha to facilitate a common platform for young writers irrespective of their gender, in the forthcoming Sabha sessions.
�Today, we have different banners like �Ramdhenu� and �Akash� for young male and female writers. It would be nice and encouraging if we provide them a single platform to flourish. It could not be materialised during my term but I hope that in the new term, this will be done,� Shah said.
Retired Supreme Court judge and Vice Chancellor of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit Academy, New Delhi Mukundakam Sarma, while addressing the young writers and artistes invited for the interactive session, said, �Young and budding writers have the responsibility to project Assamese literary works in the global stage. It is they who can inject fresh thoughts and mould public opinion in the greater public interest.�
�They are the most fertile lot, and the Sabha too has the responsibility of channelising their creative insights in the right direction. Distortion of Assamese language vis-�-vis pronunciation, sentence construction, usage of grammar, or choice of word is another aspect that needs to be looked into,� Sarma said.
He said, �Quality literary works have good market the world over. But unlike some other states, we have not been able to promote our works the way we should have done.�
In another interactive session which revolved around children literature, noted litterateur Dilip Bora said, �Although a number of publications have come out, quality works suiting the psyche and creative growth of children are few in number.�
�Children literature in Assam is lagging far behind when it comes to those related to science and adventure,� he said.
As in the previous two days, thousands of people � young and old alike � thronged the venue of the 73rd�Sahitya Sabha session throughout the day.
